Chapter One:
Tiger Paws and Mercury

"What're you doing, White Blaze?" Ryo asked, baffled by the tiger's behavior. He had been pacing in the front yard all day, panting and watching the street. What was going on? Ryo had no idea, and it didn't look like White Blaze was about to tell him. "Is something wrong?" The tiger seemed to be very agitated about something. So why didn't he just go after it, whatever it was?
White Blaze stopped and looked at Ryo, who was standing at the open window and looking outside at him. If he could talk, he would have told Ryo just exactly what he felt. But even then, there were some things that he was feeling that didn't have words - instinct told him that something was afoot, and something bad. Someone would get hurt if he didn't go and do something about it. But who, and more importantly, where? Why should he care, anyway? It was nobody he knew, right? But something told him that it was somebody that he SHOULD be worrying about, and very soon. So, he returned to pacing back and fourth, hoping that whatever kind of problem was at hand, it would show itself, and soon. He was getting very sick and tired of the restlessness that this was bringing him.
Ryo couldn't understand it, but he sighed, letting it go. Whatever ailed his tiger friend would have to show itself when it was darn good and ready to, and it seemed like that's what it was going to take. He went inside to call Robyn just as Grandma Sanada was getting ready to leave.
"Ryo," Grandma Sanada began, "don't let that party get out of hand tonight, all right? Oh, and try to pay some attention to White Blaze, he seems agitated."
"Yes, Grandma," Ryo replied, mid-dial, "have a good time at the movies tonight!"
"I will, Ryo. Oh, and be sure everyone's out of the house by midnight," Grandma Sanada added, “I don’t want any surprise sleepovers.” Grandma Sanada smiled. “One of you boys is enough to deal with,” she added teasingly.
"Haha… will do, Grandma," Ryo replied, "…oh, and if you need anything while you're at the Children's Hospital, just give me a call."
"I will, Ryo," Grandma Sanada replied, and with that, she left for her afternoon at the Children's Hospital and her evening at the movies.
Ryo called Cye's house shortly afterward, talking to Robyn and saying he'd be there in a little bit. "Yeah Robyn," Ryo said, "I'll be there in a few. We'll stop at the store and have everything for the party in no time."
White Blaze, meanwhile, stopped pacing and took off down the street. Ryo saw him go and sighed. "I hope you find what you're looking for, pal," he said before leaving to go and get Robyn.
White Blaze at first jogged down the street, thinking that he knew where to go. He stopped dead in his tracks, losing the glimmer of a notion that led him to where he was going. He walked around for a little while, as if trying to remember why he’d gone off like that. Something was playing with him, and he didn’t like it. So, he walked along in the direction that he was going for about half of an hour, keeping a perimeter. All of a sudden, his senses sharpened and he knew that something was going on. He wasn’t exactly sure what, but it was happening at this instant, and someone was going to need his help. Fast. So, White Blaze ran as fast as his tiger paws would carry him in the direction that instinct told him he needed to be.
In the area that White Blaze was swiftly approaching, a girl walked along peacefully. She didn't seem to notice anything strange - such as a dark, shadowy figure following her. She had stopped to take a look at a person's garden when she noticed a tall shadow. She gasped and jumped farther along the sidewalk, spinning to face this new person. She heard a growl and a roar from behind her, and yelled in surprise as a massive white tiger jumped over her head. She put her arm up in front of her to shield herself from whatever might come next.
"A Thiarna Dhia!" the girl breathed as she saw the massive tiger land in front of her, between herself and the tall, dark figure.
White Blaze growled savagely, stepping toward the figure. Whoever it was seemed to recoil at the sight of him. He took another step towards this …thing, and growled even louder. He meant business. The figure retreated, vanishing from sight faster than what was natural for anything human. He then turned towards the girl, all hostility gone from him. He knew from looking at her that she was the one he'd had to protect. However, now that it was done… he just so happened to smell food, and the girl just so happened to have it on her somewhere. He approached her carefully…
The girl took a few back-steps, realizing that the tiger was after her now. She was confused… why was there a tiger in Toyama in the first place? He'd saved her; did he mean to do that? And what was he - oh no…

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Meanwhile, Ryo and Robyn were walking along after getting supplies for the party, talking about the upcoming start of college.
"I can't believe that it's almost time to start college," Ryo told Robyn, "it just seems so soon…"
"Yeah," Robyn agreed, "it's hard to imagine that we're out of high school and moving on to this already…"
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a scream, originating down the street. There was also a playful, tiger like roar, and the sound of pens and pencils hitting pavement. It didn't take Ryo too long to comprehend what, or who, had caused the ruckus.
"WHITE BLAZE!" Ryo yelled, running in the direction of the noise. Robyn blinked, following him; however, to what exactly, she didn't quite know yet.
What the two came upon was an interesting scene, indeed - books scattered everywhere across some poor bystander's lawn, as well as pencils, pens, a notebook, and some papers. At the center of the chaos was a very terrified-looking girl, pinned by a very playful-looking White Blaze.
"White Blaze! Get off of her!" Ryo yelled, afraid the tiger might have accidentally hurt the girl. White Blaze looked up at Ryo slowly; somewhat disappointed that Ryo had gotten there so soon. After he let the girl up, Robyn helped her into a sitting position, despite the newcomer's horrible shaking.
"I'm SO sorry that White Blaze pounced on you," Ryo blurted out, shocked. "He'd never really hurt you. He was just playing."
The girl looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes, and a somewhat stunned look on her face.
"I-I'm Ryo," he continued. "Ryo Sanada. This is my friend, Robyn." At hearing her name mentioned to the girl, Robyn smiled at her. "Nice to meet you," she said.
White Blaze nudged the girl's hand, startling her. She pulled away with a jump, nearly falling over again. She looked, terrified, at the nudging tiger, and scrambled to get away. She stumbled and fell on her side, pursued slowly by the confused tiger. She stopped looked between the tiger, Ryo, and Robyn, and then sighed.
'What am I doing?' the girl asked herself mentally as she reached her hand, albeit slowly, towards the tiger. 'He could easily take m'hand off 'f he wanted to…'
Her fingers made contact with White Blaze's nose, and he nudged her hand to the top of his head. She scratched the top of his head and behind his ears, and the tiger began purring happily, closing his eyes and leaning gently into the scratch.
"I think he likes you," Robyn said, trying to comfort the frightened girl.
The girl looked up at Robyn and smiled. She was beginning to calm down a little, but she still wasn't sure what to make of the tiger or the two people who rescued her from his playful paws.
"So…" the girl began, in a slightly Irish accent, "White Blaze here is jus' a big, playful kitty-cat, is he?"
Ryo sighed in relief, smiling. He looked directly into her eyes, which were a peculiar shade of gray. They were exactly like pools of mercury, framed by a mane of blue-gray hair, which reminded him of the fire he loved so much. "Yeah, that's White Blaze. He's just a big version of a playful kitten. He wouldn't hurt a fly, providing it didn't attack him, me, or my friends."
Ryo's eyes, meanwhile, captivated the girl's complete attention - those piercingly blue eyes… almost like piles of sapphires melted into two flawless pools…and that hair! Those raven locks of long, unruly hair…
She could barely understand what Ryo was saying because of how captivated she was. White Blaze brought her back to reality with a nudge - in her captivation, Keitsu had completely stopped petting him.
"…Hm? - Oh, right. So, no hurting ‘im, you, Robyn, or…anyone else that's considered a friend. Got it." The girl smiled sheepishly, averting her gaze towards the ground. 'Oh good Laird… I jus' stared into the eyes of a complete stranger!' She looked at one of her pens on the ground, remembering something. 'Hey, that tiger saved me from wha'ever or whoever that was… maybe I should ask Ryo about it…?'
"So…" Robyn began, breaking the awkward silence that ensued, and consequently, Keitsu's train of thought, "…are you going to tell us your name, or do we get to name you?" She smiled.
"Oh!" Keitsu exclaimed, looking up at Robyn. "I'm sorry! I'm so rude… m'name's Keitsu. Keitsu Jirohime."
Ryo smiled too. "It's nice to meet you, Keitsu."
Meanwhile, White Blaze sniffed at Keitsu's pocket, having found the treat that had also enticed him to pounce on her. He nudged the pocket the treat was in, looking up at her hopefully. Keitsu looked down at the white tiger and stared into his hopeful eyes for a moment.
"Hmm?" she seemed to ask the tiger, feeling the pocket that he nudged. "Oh, ye mus' be after this," she said, pulling a beef jerky strip from the pocket. It had been unwrapped partially, but Keitsu hadn't had time to eat it. She looked up at Ryo, albeit briefly. "Hey, Ryo… ‘s it okay if White Blaze has this jerky here?"
Ryo looked down at Keitsu. "Yeah, sure." He smiled as he watched Keitsu give the piece of meat to White Blaze, who took it and munched it happily. Keitsu whispered something in the tiger's ear, and he purred loudly after licking his chops, then nuzzled her and licked her face. Keitsu giggled and smiled, petting the tiger some more. After petting the tiger, she began to gather her things, which were scattered when White Blaze pounced on her.
"H-here, let me help you," Ryo said, bending over to help so fast he almost fell flat on his face. Robyn shook her head and covered her face, and Keitsu had to look away from Ryo to keep from blushing and/or making a fool out of herself. Ryo knew that Keitsu was still a little bit tense, but he figured that it was normal. After all, if he'd been a stranger and had been pounced on by a huge white tiger, he'd be just a LITTLE bit tense too.
Robyn helped the two as well, and the three had the colossal mess picked up and given back to Keitsu in about five minutes. Afterward, the trio walked down the street, getting to know each other better. Keitsu returned to her shy self, talking only when spoken to, which made both Robyn and Ryo a little bit uncomfortable. White Blaze, meanwhile, trailed along behind, seeming to keep an awkward guard, as opposed to his usual carefree, cat self.

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Ryo and Robyn walked Keitsu to her apartment, and then continued on to Ryo's house, mostly in silence. Even though it was usual for White Blaze to pounce on someone who had food, it seemed like something else had gone on prior to the pounce. Sure, White Blaze could have gone anywhere before hand and done anything else wherever he went, but with the way he'd been acting lately, he doubted that the white tiger would have dallied anywhere that didn't hold some importance, especially to waste time pouncing on some poor girl who just happened to have a strip of beef jerky. Ryo also noticed that he'd stopped pacing and started being protective once Keitsu was around. He then noticed that the tiger wasn't following Robyn and himself.
"Huh, I wonder where White Blaze went?" Ryo asked Robyn, looking at her.
"I don't know, Ryo, the last I saw him was when we were with Keitsu…" Robyn replied.
"White Blaze has been acting strangely these past couple of weeks, Robyn," Ryo said. "Almost like he's been stir crazy. It doesn't make sense, he's been outside the entire time, but he refused to go anywhere. He just paced in the front yard, as if he was waiting for something."
"Huh," Robyn said.
"I get the feeling that whatever was bugging him has to do with Keitsu," Ryo said. "He wandered off after we dropped her off, and he bolted out of the yard after pacing today. I don't know, maybe it's just my imagination, but when he acts like that, something's up."
Robyn looked at Ryo and smiled. "I'm sure it's nothing, Ryo," she paused. "Maybe he just got tired of the food you were giving him," she finished, smiling teasingly.
"Very funny, Robyn," Ryo said as the two came upon Ryo's house. Once inside, they began preparing for the movie and game party that would be happening later on.

*Author's note: "A Thiarna Dhia!" is an Irish Gaelic saying. I found it to mean "Goodness gracious!" Just a little bit of information, in case you were curious. ^.^*